"Shabu
Shabu" means "hot pot" in Japanese. "Xi"
is the Chinese character for happiness, Which is also
the owner Mr. Chang's wish: that customers would come
here to enjoy Japanese-style hot pot happily. Different
from the usual low- end hot pot restaurants, Xi Shabu
Shabu's style is more high- class Japanese. The restaurant
is situated in the basement. One is welcomed by green
bambooat the entrance. The atmosphere is comfortable
and "zen" like. Xi Shabu Shabu insists upon
using the best, 100%-fresh ingredients. The fresh shrimp
in the seafood hotpot are top grade. Inside bamboo containers
are specially-made minced squid and minced meat, which
customers then make into little balls using wooden spoons
and put into their hotpots. The soup base is made from
a varierty of mushrooms, apples and carrots, creating
a golden-colored vegetarian soup, thereby catering to
both vegetarians and meat lovers. Japanese-style orange
paste and radish paste sauces help bring out the flavors
of the hot pot ingredients. The hot pots come in eight
different main ingredients, and are priced between NT$260
and NT$490. The quality definitely makes the price worthwhile.
--By Shanzi Chen, translated by Cara Steenstra